Where to put motion sensor lights inside your home to reduce your energy bills as longer nights draw in

As the nights grow longer in early fall, I am always very conscious of how much more I rely on indoor lighting. Those extra hours of brightness can quietly drive up energy bills, especially when lights are left on in empty rooms.

One of the best fixes I’ve found? Motion sensor lights. Not only do they prevent wasted energy, but they have made my home safer, too.

If you’re looking for a simple way to cut energy bills and boost efficiency, here’s where to put motion sensor lights inside your home.

Where to put motion sensor lights to reduce your energy bills

Although lighting ideas were not really on my radar for saving money at home in fall and winter, James Harrison at electrician firm Fusion Electrical, pointed out that small adjustments can make a surprising difference over the course of a year, and that includes lighting.

'Some of these cost very little to set up, but could save you money every single month,' he says. 'Installing a motion sensor means your lights will only come on when someone is in the room.

'It avoids wasted energy when a switch has been left on and removes the need to remember to turn them off.'

Locating motion sensor light bulbs in the high-traffic areas of a home, which are the areas you go in and out of constantly, can help to cut energy costs.

This is especially true if you are like me. I am particularly prone to forgetting to hit a switch on the way out of a room, or I often have my hands full, refusing to take two trips in or out of a room.

Head of Solved, Punteha van Terheyden adds, 'I often go upstairs and find that my daughter has left the hallway, bathroom, or her bedroom light on for hours, despite not using any of those spaces. Motion sensor lighting would be a great and easy fix for this.'

As a result, lights are left on when they are not rigged up to a timer system like my prized Phillips Hue smart bulbs starter kit, from Amazon, making my lights one of the vampire appliances secretly costing me money.

In my period home, where several rooms lack natural light, motion sensor bulbs also have the added benefit of not just improving functionality, but helping me to stay safe, too.

The motion light on my stairway, for example, has stopped me from tumbling down the staircase at any given opportunity (usually because I have put something on the stairs to be put away, and forgotten about it).

Similarly, my motion-sensor entryway lighting ideas help me lock up the house each night without jamming the key in the wrong way round again (yes, this did happen once, and my landlord was less than thrilled).

What to shop

When shopping for motion sensor lightbulbs specifically to save money, James advises, 'Always choose products in the top efficiency classes and make sure your electrical installations are in safe working order.

'If you suspect an issue, have an electrician check it. Saving money should never come at the cost of safety.'

FAQs

Can you put a motion sensor bulb in a regular socket?

Motion sensor light bulbs are designed to slot into your usual light fitting sockets, with no electrical adjustments needed. Simply replace the bulb and switch it on at the wall (leaving it switched on).

It isn't just your light bulbs that are draining your funds. There is one common appliance mistake that could be adding $100s to your energy bills each year that needs addressing ASAP.